Thursday, September 20, 2007

No Negotiation

Even devoted Christians make deals with God. You may not realize you're doing it, but if you've ever been disappointed with a direction God has taken your life, you may have been guilty of "Negotiating with God." Here's an excerpt from my article on Boundless this week:

If I'm really honest with myself, I realize I'm guilty of making unspoken deals with God. My favorite is "the formula." I assume that if I figure out the way God would have me go about things and follow the steps precisely, I can achieve — or at least expect — a certain result.

We're all constantly trying to decipher various formulas: the secret recipe for finding a spouse; the five steps to succeeding at work; the blueprint for turning out godly children. These formulas make us feel safe, like we have a little control over our lives — over God.

(Special thanks to Jon for giving me the idea and Jared for lending me the Dennis Prager book!)